No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act of 2025

This bill aims to protect renters in federally assisted housing from being watched or tracked with biometric tech. One year after it becomes law, owners of these homes could not use face recognition, fingerprint or DNA scans, iris/retina scans, or voice/gait tracking in or around the property for surveillance. It also blocks other uses of these tools if they harm a tenant’s fair access to housing that is free from bias and discrimination. The bill defines “biometric” broadly, including tools that identify you by your face, fingerprints, DNA, iris or retina, voice, or the way you walk—even systems that log facial or body features to guess your emotions or location .

The housing department must publish a public report within one year. It has to describe any use of these technologies in federally assisted rentals over the past five years, how they affected residents, why they were installed, who lives there, and the possible impacts on vulnerable communities, including effects on privacy, civil rights, and fair housing.

Key points

• Who is affected: Owners and tenants of federally assisted rental housing.
• What changes: No facial recognition or other biometric surveillance in or around these homes; other uses are barred if they harm fair access to housing.
• When: Rules take effect one year after it becomes law; the public report is due within one year .